Donovan Blanc, WRITER

Captured Tracks 5 Year Anniversary Kick Off Party!

Captured Tracks turns 5 this year and to celebrate we are we are throwing a two-day festival at the end of the summer. The festival will be held August 31st and September 1st at The Well with performances by DIIV, Mac Demarco, Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils, MINKS, Soft Metals, Blouse, Widowspeak, Chris Cohen, Heavenly Beat and Alex Calder.

Blouse (Release Party!)

Evolution is a tricky word when discussing current trends in music, especially when it comes to sophomore albums. The critically lauded “BLOUSE,” the 2011 debut from the Portland band of the same name was a lush, melodic and dreamy affair spiked with whoozy synths and delicate vocals. For “Imperium,” their 2nd LP for Captured Tracks, Blouse have shed the synths, done away with drum machines and wrote and recorded with “instruments that don’t plug into the wall,” as enforced by bandmember/producer Jacob Portrait.

Sonically speaking, that comes through on the LP immediately. Perhaps bolstered by the ongoing construction occurring next to the studio while the record was being made, the sense of force and urgency propelling the record is evident. Patrick Adams’ driving bass and plodding drums in the title track usher in this new guitar-friendlier Blouse; more direct and clearer of vision, but still mysterious and beautiful.

Jacob and Patrick’s Pacific Northwest alt-rock roots (filtered through post-punk and V/U) are a great counterpoint to ex-pat Southern CA transplant Charlie Hilton’s Cohen/Patti/Nico singer/songwriter nature. The dichotomy of those two forces on tracks like “No Shelter” and “1000 Years” are at the core of Imperium. These are delicate songs from the perspective of a valley girl who grew up with gurus and ashrams played by indie lifers on a steady diet of NEU! It makes it all the more understandable to have showers of acoustic guitars and (real, not synthesized) cellos interrupted by fuzz guitar.

But these interruptions aren’t a bad thing, they’re what makes Imperium the great record it is. “In a Feeling Like This” describes it perfectly, it’s a strange place that you’re weirdly familiar with. Warm but also kind of spooky and imposing, you want to stay there for longer than you’re invited. Thankfully, it’s ok to flip it over and listen to it again.

Donovan Blanc

Donovan Blanc's self-titled debut is the realization of a purified version of the duo's work, fit for consumption by disciples of technicolor baroque and singer-songwriter pop music. The group's aim isn’t to evoke nostalgia, but rather to re-contextualize the familiar and foreign to create new moments; some that are bold and exuberant, and others that are reserved and melancholic. Donovan Blanc delivers a glimpse of the lush textures and vivid colors of pop’s golden age through a modern lens.

WRITER

In a small corner of San Diego, brothers Andy and James Ralph drives melodies through the air sharp as nails; while plugged into buzzing amps in a space cluttered with a dozen instruments and tangled cords. Beneath wooden rafters and a blanket of sound, an unpolished throat sings gritty, spit-shined, and endearingly clumsy where the sadness of its voice is somehow tender. It is a voice reaching for something familiar, inspired by physical experience, influential friends, loss, and objects that leave a residue of longing.